Monday, May 12, 2014

Canadiens force Game 7 with 4 - 0 Win over Bruins



Canadiens force Game 7 with 4-0 win over Bruins
+The Associated Press
(Photo: Eric Bolte, USA TODAY Sports)
MONTREAL (AP) — Max Pacioretty had a goal and an assist in the second period and Carey Price made 26 saves and the Montreal Canadiens blanked the +Boston Bruins 4-0 on Monday night to force Game 7 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The series is tied 3-3 going into Game 7 on Wednesday night in Boston.

Pacioretty, who had only one assist in the first five games, scored and set up Thomas Vanek's goal in the second period. Lars Eller scored in the first for Montreal and Vanek added his second of the game into an empty net with 3:56 left.

BOX SCORE: Canadiens 4, Bruins 0

Rookie Nathan Beaulieu, the Canadiens' 2011 first-round draft pick who was given a surprise start by coach Michel Therrien, picked up an assist in his first +NHL playoff game and was plus-2.

The Canadiens repeated the scenario of their 2011 first-round series against the Bruins, winning at home to force a Game 7. That year, they lost Game 7 in overtime. The Bruins went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Montreal got out to a strong start after a rousing pregame show and the teams played at a ferocious pace through the first two periods.

Despite having the best of the play in the opening 20 minutes, the Canadiens needed an unusual play for the only goal.

Kevan Miller lost the puck off his stick behind the Boston net and then inadvertently tripped goalie Tuukka Rask as he tried to smother it, leaving Eller free to score unassisted 2:11 into the game.

WATCH: How did this Bruins shot not go in?

The second period was marked by a remarkable 5:11 stretch without a whistle in which the Bruins bottled the Canadiens in their end for minutes at a time, only to see Milan Lucic miss their best scoring chance from the edge of the crease.

Soon after, Beaulieu flipped the puck up the center of the ice and saw it go off Loui Eriksson to Pacioretty, who won a race with Zdeno Chara and beat Rask between the pads at 15:24.

Pacioretty kept a puck alive with his feet amid a crowd in front of Rask during a power play and saw the puck slide to Vanek for a shot into an open side at 17:39.

RANGERS: Lundqvist fined for squirting Crosby

The Bruins came close at 11:05 of the third when a Chara shot went off Price and dropped behind him.

But with Jarome Iginla digging in the crease, David Desharnais was on his knees to stop the puck with his stick just as it had almost crossed the goal line. The no-goal call stood up to video review.

Notes: Beaulieu replaced Douglas Murray on Montreal's third defense pair and Daniel Briere returned to the lineup for Travis Moen. ... Eller scored during Beaulieu's first career NHL playoff shift, making him plus-1 only 2:11 into the game. ... Boston made no changes. ... Shawn Thornton played his 100th career playoff game.
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Johnny Manziel has the top-selling NFL jersey since April 1

Jimmy Traina
+FOX Sports
Elsa / Getty Images North America
Just how popular is Johnny Manziel?

When it comes to jersey sales, no player in the NFL is more popular right now.

According to ESPN's Darren Rovell, Manziel has the top-selling jersey on the NFL's official website since April 1.

He was not drafted until May 8.

Even LeBron has one.
In terms of NFL rookie jersey sales, St. Louis' Michael Sam is second behind Manziel, while Jadeveon Clowney ranks third.

Manziel tops rookie jersey sales

By The SportsXchange

Johnny Manziel's No. 2 +Cleveland Browns jersey is the top-selling jersey on +NFLShop.com since April 1, +ESPN reported Monday.

The NFL will not say how many Manziel jerseys were sold, but did say that its official website store sold nearly as many Manziel jerseys during last weekend's draft as it sold Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, and Tim Tebow jerseys during their drafts combined.

There was a line outside the Cleveland Browns' team shop at FirstEnergy Stadium when Manziel jerseys went on sale at 11 a.m. Friday.

+Miami HEAT star LeBron James wore a Manziel jersey on Friday during his team's flight to New York. James' business partner, Maverick Carter, works with Manziel.

+Nike, which endorses Manziel and is the NFL's official uniform supplier, is selling Manziel jerseys in every version and size. The company also made special Manziel Browns shirts that read "Johnny Football" and "Manziel or Nothing" and a women's shirt that reads "My Manziel."

The second-most popular rookie jersey this year is +St. Louis Rams  defensive end Michael Sam, the first openly gay player ever drafted. Sam's jersey was not even available until 9 p.m. ET Saturday when he was selected in the seventh and final round.

"We think this is a sign of what we've been saying all along, that Michael's inclusion in the NFL is bringing fans into the game who weren't previously consumers of the NFL game," said Sam's agent, Cameron Weiss.

+Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, +Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and +Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles rounded out the top five rookie jerseys sold. Clowney was the No. 1 overall pick, Bridgewater was the last pick of the first round and Bortles was the first quarterback chosen and third pick overall.
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NFL draft Day 2 steals and reaches: Marqise Lee, Kony Ealy, Tre Mason and more

BY DOUG FARRAR
UCLA’s Xavier Su’a-Filo is ready for the challenges of the NFL. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
It’s never possible, and always impractical, to grade drafts just as they happen. All we can do is try to estimate what prospects might do in their new NFL homes based on their own attributes and the new schemes they’ll be learning. And in the second day of the draft, where the second and third rounds take place, teams will snap up those prospects who drop for whatever reason, and occasionally reach up to take those players they value enough to overpay — with the alternative being the notion that another team will take them.

So, with that in mind, here are the players we believe were the biggest steals — and reaches — of the second day of the 2014 draft.

Steals

Xavier Su’a-Filo, OG, Houston Texans (Second round, 33rd overall pick): Based on his tape, Su’a-Filo probably should have gone somewhere in the 20s in the first round, but the Texans were more than happy to take him with the first pick of the second round. Unquestionably the best guard in this class, Su’a-Filo can also play tackle, and he’s as much a technician as he is a mauler.

Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (Second round, 39th overall pick): Lee was derided by some analysts for his 2013 season, when he struggled through injuries, drops, and lapses in concentration. But he has an underrated way of getting up to full speed very quickly in seam and vertical routes, and he is a dynamic after-the-catch receiver when healthy. He could be Blake Bortles’ primary target very, very soon.

BURKE: McCarron, Murray, Carey all strong options entering Day 3

Kony Ealy, DE, Carolina Panthers (Second round, 60th overall pick): I wasn’t as in love with Ealy’s tape as were the people who graded him as a can’t miss first-round prospect, but to see him drop to the 60th overall pick was a bit unusual. In the right scheme, Ealy could be a better-than-average pass rusher, and he has the pure strength to stop the run as a strong-side end. In addition, he can slip inside in passing downs, and his versatility makes this pick have outstanding value.

Morgan Moses, OT, Washington Redskins (Third round, 66th overall pick): Moses has had conditioning issues, and he hasn’t always played to his potential. But when he’s on the ball, Moses has the potential to be a dynamic run blocker, and a developing pass protector as well.

AL.com - Photo Courtesy
Tre Mason, RB, St. Louis Rams (Third round, 75th overall pick): Yes, the running back is devalued in the NFL these days, but to get the man who broke a bunch of Bo Jackson’s records at Auburn with the 75th overall pick could add up to highway robbery when all is said and done. Mason has a skill set that reminds me of Ray Rice at his peak, which fits the Rams’ running back rotation very well. Tre Mason Surprised by slide in Draft, but very happy to be running behind +Auburn Football OT, Robinson with +St. Louis Rams 

Louis Nix III, DT, Houston Texans (Third round, 83rd overall pick): Nix suffered by far the biggest drop between potential and draft value in the second day — many had him ranked as a first-round prospect, but reported issues with conditioning and motivation led to his relative plummet. No matter — in Romeo Crennel’s defense, and with the right kind of coaching, Nix can still be a huge factor in the middle of Houston’s defense.

Reaches

Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB, New Orleans Saints (Second round, 58th overall pick):Some believe that Jean-Baptiste will soon become a second-round talent based on his potential, which doesn’t always show up on tape — at least, not yet. He still struggles with angles in coverage, he’s susceptible to double moves, and you’d like to see a guy with his size (6-3, 218) play a bit more physically.

Justin Britt, OT, Seattle Seahawks (Second round, 64th overall pick): Though Britt is versatile enough to play every position along the line, his tape as a pure left tackle is worrisome at times — he gets beaten around the edge, and pushed back frequently. These things could be dealt with in a professional strength program and a move to right tackle or guard, which will likely happen. But a lot of people had a third-day grade on Britt, and the Seahawks will have to prove otherwise.

Christian Kirksey, LB, Cleveland Browns (Third round, 71st overall pick): Kirksey is a slightly undersized ‘backer (6-2, 233 pounds) who showed great improvement in 2013 when diagnosing the run and taking the proper angles. Cleveland may soon get its optimal value with this pick, but the general grade given is at least a round lower.

Chris Watt, OG, San Diego Chargers (Third round, 89th overall pick): While it’s tough to rate a guy at the bottom of the third round as a reach, Watt raises concerns due to his relative lack of athleticism and strength, and his primary value as a phone-booth player. Watt is a high-effort guy, which means that he’ll extract the maximum potential out of his talent, but we may be dealing with a low ceiling here.
--

RELATED: PAC-12.com - Sutton, Sankey, Lee among Pac-12 Gridiron players selected in 2014 NFL Draft Rounds 2 & 3 
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Sunday, May 11, 2014

Bruins Ice Girls the most liked thing about the team after the Game 1 Behavior at home - Thank you ladies!



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Kansas Speedway, a first for the 24 and Danica in NASCAR Careers

Flash Gordon: Hendrick driver wins first race of season at Kansas

Jay Pennell
+FOX Sports
Todd Warshaw / NASCAR

Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, won his first race of the season on Saturday night at Kansas Speedway.




Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon entered Saturday night's +5-hour ENERGY® 400 at +Kansas Speedway as the Sprint Cup points leader, but was missing a notch in the all-important win column.

 That all changed Saturday night as he and his Alan Gustafson-led team played their cards right to score his first win of the season.

 "How's that feel boys? To have that weight just lifted off of our shoulders?" Gordon radioed crew chief Gustafson and the rest of his team after the race.
Gordon's win certainly wasn't a lock as the winner as the race came to its end, as he had to hold off a last-lap charge from Kevin Harvick, who had the dominant car on the night.

 Leading only nine laps in the race, Gordon got the advantage over Harvick on the final round of green flag pit stops. The four-time champion brought his car to pit road with 30 laps to go, while Harvick came in one lap later. The No. 24 crew got their driver back on track with a 13.4-second stop, compared to Harvick's 13.7-second stop.

 As the rest of the field peeled off for their final stops, Gordon and Harvick battled for what would be the lead. When Brad Keselowski came to pit road with eight laps to go, Gordon retook the lead and focused on holding off Harvick.

 While he initially pulled away from the No. 4 Chevy, Harvick made a huge charge on the final lap to pull within 0.112 seconds at the flag. The run wasn't enough, though, as Gordon scored his first win of the season.



"I knew we had a fast race car. We've been bringing fast race cars every single weekend. It's just giving me confidence in the race cars and the race team," Gordon said. "Kevin was tough. He was so strong. I did not know if I could hold him off, and I almost didn't there at the end."

 While Gordon entered the night as the points leader, the all-important win went a long way to ensuring a Chase berth for the No. 24 team.

 "What a huge weight lifted off this team's shoulders," he said. "We've been leading the points, but we needed to get to victory lane, and they proved they were capable of doing it. Great, great job by then."

 Leading 121 of the 267 laps, Harvick's hard-fought day ended with a disappointing second-place finish.

 "In the end I ran out of gas coming to pit road. I was paying attention to that and didn't get enough RPM down pit road," Harvick said. "Then I didn't get out of my box very well. He wound up getting by me there as we came out of our pit stop."

Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Danica Patrick, Aric Almirola, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top 10. Saturday night's race saw 29 lead changes among 10 different drivers, and was slowed by cautions eight times for a total of 47 laps.

 Next week, the series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Sprint All-Star Race.

 +Danica Patrick finishes career best at +5-hour ENERGY® 400 at +Kansas Speedway - Link Here~
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